It should have worked better. Classical Theatre’s season opener, Medea, has all the talent, tools and twists to make Euripides’ classical play something remarkable. There’s the crisp 95-minute runtime, a feminist lens, dilution of the overwrought, modern flourishes, comic relief and one of Houston’s best actresses in the titular role...
Classical Theatre’s season opener,, has all the talent, tools and twists to make Euripides’ classical play something remarkable. There’s the crisp 95-minute runtime, a feminist lens, dilution of the overwrought, modern flourishes, comic relief and one of Houston’s best actresses in the titular role. Hell, it even has cute puppets.
Now, in a new land, Jason tosses aside her and their two boys for a new marriage into the royal family, securing his safety and power while leaving Medea to stew in her abandoned wrath. Fearing what Medea may do , Jason’s father-in-law, Creon , banishes Medea from the country.The modern flourishes are the first indication that this isn’t your standard Medea production.
The laughs come mostly as eye rolls against chauvinist behavior. Chorus giving Jason the finger behind his back for being an ass, and Medea pretending, with utter derision, that Jason is correct in his belittling of womankind. This works fine enough, we can all snicker righteously at Jason’s infamous misogyny.As Medea calmly parades her murdered children around the stage maybe it’s not the time for laughs.
Without that vulnerable, raw, deep in her core emotion, it’s hard to parse Medea’s murderous actions. Her behavior feels calculated rather than reactionary, which renders her more villain than victim. We are unsure where to plant our empathy.